My personal opinion on the matter is that the world is not really any better or worse than it has ever been. IMO, the difference is technology, and the fact that it enables events to be almost instantaneously broadcast world wide by the media, making it appear that everything is going into the toilet, especially given the fact that the positive stories that happen every day are rarely reported because drama and bloodshed brings in more ratings than all the good things that happen. Before such technology existed, what we were not aware of did not impact our lives, and it could easily seem that life was better because of what we did not hear about.
Personally, I dislike watching the news and do my best to avoid it. I knew many witnesses who watched any and every news cast or program so that they could converse with householders on all the evils of the world more proficiently. Quite possibly, my aversion for most things news related comes from that. But the way I look at it, if it is something that I need to know about, they will interrupt whatever I am watching and tell me. Other than that, I go about my life.